Saab Builds High-tech Zip In Its 9000

June 26, 1986|By John Hicks of the Sentinel Staff

Non-conformity is the hallmark of the Saab. So what results when a non- conformist Swedish carmaker builds a new machine aimed at those upscale auto connoisseurs who ordinarily shop at Volvo, Audi, BMW or Mercedes?

Answer: the Saab 9000 Turbo, a honed-down, dressed-up departure from the lovably offbeat Saab 900 series and a quick, slippery force to be reckoned with in the luxury-sedan market. And while Saab isn't giving the 9000 away, the $23,051 price of the amply equipped test car provided by Bill Bryan Saab, Winter Park, puts the 9000 on a strong competitive footing.

Even when the price goes higher -- a leather-upholstered 9000 with sunroof lists at $24,446 -- the front-wheel-drive car remains attractive because of its versatility. First, it's a trim-looking family sedan, nearly 5 inches shorter than the 900 model. Then it's a performance car, with a technologically advanced, 2-liter, 160-horsepower engine that can propel it along at 140 mph or so.

The 9000 Turbo also is an Environmental Protection Agency-certified ''large'' car, with a spacious interior -- and it has the EPA's highest large-car fuel-efficiency rating of 21 miles per gallon.

But in marketing a luxurious, conservatively cut sedan, has Saab (an acronym for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget -- or Swedish Aircraft Co.) forsaken those who latched onto models of the past because they were quirky, novel and a ball to drive?

Not really. While the 9000 knocks off a good many quaint and curious Saab corners, it doesn't give a millimeter on performance. The 16-valve, double-overhead-camshaft engine is fuel-injected, turbocharged, intercooled -- and fast.

Fitted with a precise-shifting five-speed manual transmission, the 9000 can flit from zero to 60 mph in less than 8 seconds, and has a factory-rated top speed of 141 mph. These figures, though impressive, are not so mind- boggling as personally winding the needles on the 7,000-rpm tachometer, the turbo-boost gauge and the 135-mph (220-kmh) speedometer.

You can reach 80 and beyond within one deep breath -- and get back to zero again about as quickly, thanks to power-assisted, four-wheel disc brakes. The car feels light and well-balanced as it negotiates tight corners on its MacPherson-strut front suspension and rigid-axle rear suspension.

Coil springs, stabilizer bars and gas-charged shock absorbers help the car to handle lumpy pavement as gracefully as it negotiates corners. Front bucket seats and rear bench offer room for five adults in comfort.

Some gripes: The plastic gear-lever knob popped off during a downshift (then was popped back on without difficulty). Also, reverse gear can be hard to engage, a shortcoming inherited from the Saab 900.